“Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.”

March 23, 2015

Ministerial Guidance 2014: Fourth key area of activity: “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.”

Hans-Peter Plag1 and Stefano Nativi2

1) IEEE, Mitigation and Adaptation Research Institute (MARI)Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va, USA

2) Earth and Space Informatics laboratoryNational Research Council of ItalyInstitute of Atmospheric Pollution Research

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.”

- how to define and document “observations needed”- a “comprehensive knowledge base”

- facilitate “availability and accessibility”- linking to “user communities”First results for the next Ministerial SummitGoal: Feedback on how we interpret the ministerial guidance

- “... for all disciplines ...”

Information Needs

Stakeholder Driven GEOSS

Defining observations based on information needs

Defining models and tools based on information needs

GEO, 2005. 10-YIP Reference Document.

“... defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines”

... needed for all disciplines to do/achieve what?

What are the goals? - scientific disciplines: create new knowledge; monitor the environment, assess state and trends, predict; - societal disciplines: enable sustainable development - GEO: Societal Benefit Areas; Strategic Targets - Ministers: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

19 Focus Areas

Griggs et al., 2013

Griggs et al. (2013): 6 SDGs:1 Thriving lives and livelihoods2 Sustainable food security3 Secure sustainable water4 Universal clean energy5 Healthy and productive ecosystems6 Governance for sustainable societies

SDG IndicatorsThe purpose of SDG indicators is twofold. First, an indicator should be a management tool, to help countries develop implementation and monitoring strategies for achieving the SDGs and to monitor progress. Second, an indicator is a report card, to measure progress towards achieving a target and ensure the accountability of governments to their citizens.

This will require:• Investing in national statistical systems, household surveys, remote sensing, and Big Data; • Identifying areas where statistical standards are currently lacking and asking the statistical community to develop them in the future; • Thinking in terms of the measurement instruments that each country should have in place (e.g. vital statistics, censuses, surveys, national accounts, administrative records, Big Data); and • Specifying the quality requirements (e.g. frequency of data-collection, timeliness of releases, geographical detail, common set of variables available for cross-classification purposes).

GoalsGoalsGoalsGoals

TargetsTargetsTargetsTargets

IndicatorsIndicatorsIndicatorsIndicators

Essential Essential VariablesVariablesEssential Essential VariablesVariables

(URR)Inference

Engine

Knowledge aboutApplications, Activities, Tools, ...

Knowledge about Users,Benefits,

Defining observations needed

Observational RequirementsObservational RequirementsObservational RequirementsObservational Requirements

- rules- models

SEE IN Knowledge Base

Socio-Economic and Environmental Information

Needs Knowledge Base

GEO’s Contribution

3rd GEOSS S&T 3rd GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Stakeholder WorkshopWorkshop

3rd GEOSS S&T 3rd GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Stakeholder WorkshopWorkshop

- human interactions (e.g., surveys)

For example, “safeguarding Earth’s life-support system;” based on Griggs et al. (2013): sustainable development is a “Development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth’s life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.”

Other goals:

From http://www.economy4humanity.org

Potential Indicators:

Planetary health indicators

GEOSS the “lab” for patient Earth ...

Potential Indicators:

For example, Documenting “global change”

Other goals:

Change indicators

GEOSS the “archive” for the future ...

<---Holocene--->

<--Anthropocene ??

For example, “Safe operating space for humanity;” Rockström et al. (2009)

Other goals:

Potential Indicators:

Planetary boundary indicators

GEOSS the planetary cockpit ...

• For each set of goals, we can agree on targets• For targets, we can develop a metrics based on indicators • For indicators, we can identify “essential variables” needed to quantify the indicators

General Blue Print for top-down approach:

Other Blue Prints for bottom-up approaches to be developed

GoalsGoalsGoalsGoals

TargetsTargetsTargetsTargets

IndicatorsIndicatorsIndicatorsIndicators

EVsEVsEVsEVs

SEE IN KBInference

Engine

Knowledge aboutApplications, Activities, Tools, ...

Knowledge about Users,Benefits,

Defining observations needed

- rules- models- human interactions (e.g., surveys)

Gap AnalysisGap AnalysisGap AnalysisGap Analysis

Observational Observational RequirementsRequirementsObservational Observational RequirementsRequirements

Earth observation systems, data, and Earth observation systems, data, and servicesservices

Earth observation systems, data, and Earth observation systems, data, and servicesservices

GEOSS Knowledge Base

Inference Engine

Providing environmental intelligence

- Rules- models- human interactions (e.g., research)

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.”

“... these observations ...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence?

“... to user communities”: Who are the user communities?

“... availability and accessibility ...”: How should this be accessible?

Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.

Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, 20-21 March 2014

Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, 20-21 March 2014

Transformational Pathways forward

Bringing together stakeholders Bringing together stakeholders and knowledge for informed, and knowledge for informed,

particpatory governanceparticpatory governance

Bringing together stakeholders Bringing together stakeholders and knowledge for informed, and knowledge for informed,

particpatory governanceparticpatory governance

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.”

Q: “... these observations ...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence?

Q: “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities?

“... availability and accessibility ...”: How should this be accessible?

A: science and research, sustainable communities, participatory governance

A: environmental intelligence, practice-relevant knowledge created on demand

A: more than access to observation databases and information systems ...

Social

Private

Public

GovernanceDecision making

Science

PoliciesPlanningCodes

Best & next practices

Perceptions

VSTMeetings

DeliberationsRisk-based choices

ScenariosVisualizations

CoI mediations

Stakeholder values &interests

LKBModel Web

ServicesGeoDesign

GISIntegrated databases

(environmental,economic,human)ontology

Participation

What If?

State&

Trends

Impacts

PredictionsCollaborative Platform for Cooperation

IoT

IoM

Human Sensors

Instrument Sensors

Society

WorldDeliberations

SD

Knowledge Creation and Usage: - Co-design- Co-creation- Co-usage (RIO+20)

GEOSS Information System (GEOIS)

4th GEOSS S&T 4th GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Stakeholder WorkshopWorkshop

4th GEOSS S&T 4th GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Stakeholder WorkshopWorkshop

Draft Position Paper/White Paper (PP): In progress

PP iterated with GEO Community; GEO Secariat leads iteration ...

Implement SEE IN KB Version 0 (Nativi&Plag)

Populate with well-tested blue-prints: together with relevant groups

Populate with blue-prints for EVs; candidates are ECarbonV, eEOVs, EBVs,

GEO Secretariat informs IPWG and asks for guidance on the process for community feedback (Work plan symposium, survey)

Develop process from goals to information needs - EVs - Observations Apply process to SGDs